Substitutions in the interdomain loop of the Tn10 TetA efflux transporter alter tetracycline resistance and substrate specificity

Cysteine replacement of Asp190, Glu192 and Ser201 residues in the cytoplasmic interdomain loop of the TetA(B) tetracycline efflux antiporter from Tn10 reduces tetracycline resistance [Tamura, N., Konishi, S., Iwaki, S., Kimura-Someya, T., Nada, S. & Yamaguchi, A. (2001). J Biol Chem 276, 20330-20339]. It was found that these Cys substitutions altered the substrate specificity of TetA(B), increasing the relative resistance to doxycycline and minocycline over that to tetracycline by three- to sixfold. Substitutions of Asp190 and Glu192 by Ala, Asn and Gln also impaired the ability of TetA(B) to mediate tetracycline resistance while Ser201Ala and Ser201Thr substitutions did not. A Leu9Phe substitution in the first transmembrane helix of TetA(B) suppressed the Ser201Cys mutation, undoing the alterations in resistance and specificity. That the interdomain loop might contact substrate during transport, as is suggested from its role in substrate specificity, is unexpected considering that the primary sequence in the loop is not conserved among a group of otherwise homologous TetA proteins. However, in the interdomain loop of 11 of 14 homologous TetA efflux proteins, computational analysis revealed a short [alpha]-helix, which includes some residues affecting activity and substrate specificity. Perhaps this conserved secondary structure accounts for the role of the non-conserved interdomain loop in TetA function.